January Elements

Happy New Year! It's the first challenge of the NewYear after our wee break so today over at Daring Cardmakers is Elemental day - choose at least three elements from the inspiration picture to kickstart your creation.

I chose the butterfly, grass stalk, chevron pattern and the blues/aquas from the colour palette.

I got a pack of Gel Press Petites for my birthday and had a first play here with the circle one - I just used it a bit like a big stamp to layer up the inks and then add the chevron pattern by stamping onto the gel plate itself before transferring to the paper. It made it really easy to line up the repeat pattern (it's a border stamp).

Stamps:
Antique Engravings (Hero Arts)
Thankful Silhouettes (Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous)
Offbeat Backgrounds (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)
Say It All (Hero Arts)

Paper:
Bristol board 

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Stonewashed, Denim)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Tumbled Glass)

Other:
Copic markers
Wink of Stella (clear)
Gel Press Petites
Corner Chomper 
MISTI 

Here's the lovely mood board we have for our January inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by!

Snow

The theme at Daring Cardmakers this week is snow - a few flakes, a blizzard, a snowman or peaceful snowy landscape - anything as long as it features snow!

I've gone retro with a bit of recyling thrown in for good measure (tomato paste tube metal is great for embossing and makes lovely metal embellishment dots if you come out circles with a stylus). I’ve used an embossing folder that suggests swirls and some die cut flakes to finish.

Supplies:
Metal from a tomato paste tube
Retro Circles embossing folder
Gesso
Snowflake die (Waltzingmouse stamps, no longer with us)
Brilliance ink by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)
Memento Luxe ink by Tsukineko (Love Letter)
Crop a Dile and small circle punch
Pinflair glue gel
White and chocolate brown card stock

Thanks for stopping by!

November Card Chain

It's the last Card Chain Challenge of 2018 and my card this month has gone to Marga in Spain.

From the options for the month I chose the colours and the theme of baubles. Sticking with my strategy of one layer cards for air mailing I did some masking. Since I also chose to heat emboss that was a little bit tedious but I like the effect of the single image being made into a group.

The front ornament has clear Wink of Stella for some sparkle - it just looks a bit odd on the photo!

Stamps:
Holiday Ornaments (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Versamark by Tsukineko

Other:
Detail embossing powder (gold)
Memento markers (Lady Bug, Rhubarb)
Gold gel pen
White paint pen by Posca
Wink of Stella pen (clear)
Micro Glaze
Brusho pignment powder (Emerald Green)
Joy Stamp n Cut (Hero Arts)
Corner Chomper

There's a little Christmas break while the Card Chain Challenge folk catch their breath so there's no December challenge but if you fancy making and receving a hand made card each month, why not subscribe to e-mail updates at Card Chain Challenge so you can sign up when January's challenge goes live?

Thanks for stopping by!

Stars up above

Daring Cardmakers is seeing stars for this week’s challenge - whether it’s a single star guiding the three wise men or a whole sky full of them, let's see some stars!

Retro Rubber is celebrating its 100th Challenge with a tic-tac-toe board and I’m playing along there too. I chose the middle row: ink smooshing, confetti, die cut or punched shape. I hope die cut confetti fits the bill, I don’t have any other sort in my stash. The larger star is punched.

The dancing snowman has been in my collection since 2009 and I thought the sentiment suited him!

Stamps:
Dancing snowman (Cornish Heritage Farms, sadly no longer with us)
Sentiment from Festive Foliage (mine is the original Waltzingmouse Stamps set, the same design is now available from Gina K)

Paper:
Bristol board
Silver glitter card

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Tumbled Glass, Peacock Feathers)

Other:
Copic markers
Confetti die by Mama Elephant
Star squeeze punch by Fiskars
Black fineline marker

Thanks for stopping by!